OTAHKS OPEN WET TOURNEY WITH WIN

Ricki DeArmon doesn't consider herself a power hitter. Never liked inside pitches much, either.

Nonetheless, with Southeast Missouri State University trailing 2-0 in the third inning, DeArmon slapped a pitch inside over the left-field fence.

The two-run home run tied the game and sparked the Otahkians to an 8-2 victory over Austin Peay in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference softball tournament Saturday afternoon at Parker Field.

In other tournament games Saturday, fourth-seeded Middle Tennessee beat No. 5 Tennessee Tech 6-3, No. 6 Eastern Illinois upset No. 3 Tennessee-Martin 3-0 and No. 2 Eastern Kentucky edged No. 7 Morehead State 5-4.

Weather permitting, top-seeded Southeast will play Tennessee Tech today at 2:30 p.m. at Parker Field in the double-elimination event. The championship game, originally scheduled for today, will likely be played on Monday.

DeArmon, a junior left fielder from Eldorado, Ill., led Southeast's 12-hit assault. The lead-off hitter went 3-for-3 with a double, triple and the homer, and scored two runs.

"Gosh, what kind of day did that kid have," said Southeast coach Lana Richmond. "She really produced for us today."

DeArmon said the Otahkians were a bit sluggish early in the game because the contest started more than an hour late. "We just needed some enthusiasm," she said. "(The home run) just seemed to get us going."

Southeast got two runs in the inning after DeArmon's one-out shot, her second of the season. One run in the fifth inning and three in the sixth provided room.

In the third inning, Jenny Oermann doubled and scored on a Kim Palmer double. Palmer came in on a Michelle Frank single.

With two out in the fifth inning, Frank doubled and scored on a Renee Enos double. In the sixth, DeArmon doubled with one out, took third on a fly ball out and scored on a wild pitch.

After an Oermann single, Palmer smashed a home run to left-center field, her OVC-leading ninth this season.

"That's what we have to do -- use our bats, because we have them," DeArmon said. "It was a great way to come out. We needed something like this to get us going."

Said Richmond: "I said at the beginning that who executes offensively is the one that's going to take this tournament."

Christine Engelhardt started the game for Southeast but lasted only 2 1/3 innings. Austin Peay scored a run in the first inning and got another in the third before Engelhardt was dismissed with runners on first and third and one out.

Austin Peay's Louranda Sanders started the game with a single and took second on a groundout. Sanders then stole third, and the throw by the catcher Enos went into left field, allowing Sanders to score.

In the third, No. 9 hitter Becky Foulk, an .056 hitter, led off with a double off the fence. Foulk scored on a Tracey Dreschel single.

Debbie Schmelz entered the game and got out of the two-on, one-out spot. Dreschel was thrown out trying to steal and Amanda Travis flew out.

From there Schmelz shut out Austin Peay while scattering two hits.